Love Doesn't Have To Be Scary
by newbienovelistRD
Summary: Valentine's Day is coming! And Count Fangula has to have the perfect Valentine for Ashley. Can he pull it off?


It was fine, yet typical day at the Royal Treatment salon. Red and pink hearts were on the windows and hanging from the ceiling. All of this meant one thing: Valentine's Day was coming. A day away as a matter of fact.

Ashley had the day off, Dawn envied her so much right now. She had been busy doing air and nails for air-headed girly girls for Valentine's day. They all had to look their best if they wanted to impress their sweethearts.

Dawn sighed and smiled when she finally ended her shift. She decided to head a nice coffeehouse and grab something to perk her up. And she knew just the one.

The blonde arrived at The Daily Grind, a quaint little coffee shop with that urban charm just down the road from the Royal Treatment, it wasn't the fanciest place. But it was where Hillary worked, and that's why Dawn chose this place.

When she walked in, Dawn let out a heartfelt 'aw'. She saw the cutest couple ever sitting together in a table in the corner, Ashley and 'Biff' were sharing a pink lemonade together from their own separate straws. They talked to each other as they enjoyed their time together.

"Now that's what I call true love." Hillary said from behind Dawn.

"I know," said Dawn, looking at her friend. "you could just put those two on a valentine. They look so different and yet they're so sweet together."

Hillary pushed up her glasses. "Yeah, polar opposite couples are often unexpectedly well matched."

She had a point, a bright and always sunny redhead like Ashley together with a dark and reserved goth guy like Biff? There's no way anyone would even assume those two were happily dating.

"I'll have to talk to you later, Dawn. I've got to man the register." Hillary said before walking off.

Dawn took a seat and some sweet tea, watching her best friend with her boyfriend. She sighed as she took it all in. The fact that those two loved each other was as plain as the red in Ashley's hair. So there was no need for Cupid.

But when Ashley got up to use the bathroom, Dawn decided to put her two cents in, just in case.

"Hey Biff, how's it going?" Dawn chirped.

The vampire blinked at the girl's unusually cheerful demeanor. "Oh! Hi, Dawn. It's going...well today." he said, taking a sip from his drink.

"You know, Valentine's day is tomorrow." Dawn reminded him.

Biff, aka Count Fangula, spit out his drink. "V-V-Valentine's Day?!"

Dawn smiled, she had a feeling he forgot, guys are like that. "Yep, that's right. I'm going to the store for valentines and I was wondering if you wanted to come."

Fangula waved his hand, dismissing her offer. "Thank you, Dawn. I appreciate it, but store bought cards are not my game. Ashley must deserve something special, something grand! The finest valentine in all the land!"

"Hey, that rhymed." Dawn mused.

Fangula blinked. "Yeah, it did."

"Maybe you can write her a poem." Dawn suggested before she walked out the shop.

The count had to think this one through. He wasn't going to settle for a rinky dink poem. He needed a valentine worthy of his feelings for Ashley, but what? Instead of sentimental, it had to be something...monumental.

"Monumental!" Fangula exclaimed. "That's it!"

"That's what?" Ashley said as she came back to the table.

"Nothing at all. Nothing." Fangula quickly said.

* * *

Later that day, when Fangula and Ashley arrived home, the count quickly went to his room and looked around. He opened his dresser drawer and pulled out the Monster Mail Order Catalog. He skimmed through the book for gift ideas.

"Aha!" Fangula pointed to the perfect present. He went to his black porcelain telephone, dialed the number, and placed his order.

The vampire smiled when he hung up the phone, happily awaiting the package that will show how much he cares.

He certainly knew one thing: This was going to be a Valentine's day to remember.

* * *

The next day, Mums woke up with a yawn. When he looked down, he saw something that boggled the mind. A large envelope placed over his heart! Well, if he had one.

The mummy was stunned. He checked quickly to see if no one was looking, then opened the letter. He was amazed to see a heart shaped valentine that was wrapped in snow white bandages with a message written in drippy red letters:

_Mums the mummy, a special valentine just for you.  
_

_From your super secret valentine. Guess_ _who? _

"A VALENTINE?! FOR ME?!" Mums screamed at the top of his nonexistent lungs. He was baffled, confused, and altogether, in absolute disbelief. And yet, he felt so...touched. To think, a monster like him, given a valentine. He's never received before.

He rushed down to the foyer to see if this wasn't one of Flabber's jokes. But was instead surprised to see that the other monsters, including Flabber, were in the foyer as well.

"You guys too?!" Mums exclaimed

"Yeah! Us too!" Flabber said as he pulled out a red scarf with pink hearts on it. "Isn't this just the most flabulous scarf?!" he chortled as he wrapped the scarf around his neck.

"Me too!" Frankenbeans said, he held a heart-shaped box filled with chocolate covered ants. He grabbed a giant handful and crammed them into his mouth. "Mmm, crunchy!" he sputtered.

"Looks like everyone here has a secret admirer." Little Ghoul observed before taking a whiff of her bouquet of black roses.

Wolfie barked in agreement while munching on an entire skeleton, a non-living one, of course.

Mums looked around the room. "Wait a minute, where's Count Fangula?"

Everyone looked around, but Fangula was nowhere to be found.

A pause.

"You don't think..." Flabber started.

"...he sent these?" Little Ghoul finished.

The Hillhurst gang dropped their gifts and ran up the stairs to Fanugla's room. Needless to say, they were shocked to see what they saw.

Fangula was standing on a stool carving what looked like a ten foot tall, beautifully sculpted headstone of Ashley resting on top of a heart with flowers. He was about to carve a message into the heart with his hammer and chisel.

"So it was you!" Mums shouted.

Startled, Fangula jumped and fell to the floor. "Hey, what gives?!"

Mums pointed an angry finger at his roommate. "What gives is you! Sending us these mushy valentines! What kind of monster are you?!"

"Well, I think it was very sweet of you, Fang. " Flabber said in gratitude.

Fangula stood up, angry. "What are you talking about?! I never sent any valentines to you!"

"Then what's that?" Little Ghoul pointed at the giant stone valentine.

"If you must know, that's my valentine for Ashley. I spent all night working on it."

"How did you possibly make all this?!" Flabber blubbered.

Fangula pointed to something on the other side of the room. It was a large dark blue box labeled, _Marquis de Sade __Make-Your-Own Tombstone Kit._

"...Rarararara?" Wolfgang asked.

"I'm not overdoing anything!" replied Fangula. "For Ashley, I'd build another Tashma Hall!"

"But if you didn't send us these valentines, then who?" Flabber said.

The monsters were nonplussed, who could have sent these wonderful valentines to them?

"Well, I think this Valentine stuff is a disgrace to all monsterdom!" Mums exclaimed. "We need to find this so called admirer and scare them straight! Right guys?"

The other monsters looked at one another, but they weren't exactly feeling it.

"What is it, guys?" asked Mums.

"They don't want to scare this admirer because this is someone who cares about them." Fangula explained, not taking his eyes away from his project. "Which is something I'm doing right now at the moment!"

Now Mums felt really silly, he loved his valentine. With it's white wrappings and runny red words, this was truly a kind gesture he appreciated. And the monsters felt the same way.

"Wait a second!" Mums said. "What about Ashley?! We don't have something for her!

Everyone gasped, except Fangula. They all ran in a circle of conniptions around the room trying to think of something, driving a certain vampire absolutely batty.

A few seconds later, Flabber and the other monsters were shoved out of Fangula's room. "The key to this valentine is concentration. Which, at the moment, is what you guys are keeping away from me!" The vampire scolded in anger before slamming the door in their faces.

"Thanks for the advice, Count No-help!" Little Ghoul hollered.

"Hello? Guys?"

Everyone gasped when they heard Ashley's voice from downstairs. She was home already.

"Now what are we going to do?!" Mums said. "We don't have any valentines for her!"

But a light bulb shined over Flabber's head. "Oh, yes we do!"

Ashley walked upstairs, she looked around but haven't seen nor heard the monsters anywhere. If it was this quiet, then they're obviously up to something.

But Ashley's first instinct was to go to her room first, _then_ investigate what the monsters are up to. The witch opened the door, she stopped at the entrance.

Ashley looked around her room. All sizes of red, pink and white hearts were everywhere she looked. Hearts were plastered on her walls, windows, and even on her bedspread. It looked like a card store exploded.

"SURPRISE!" the Hillhurst monsters shouted. "HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, ASHLEY!"

Ashley was at loss for words, she didn't know what to say, but the monsters did. Flabber came up and gave her his Valentine scarf. "Here Ashley, this is for you!"

Mums handed her his bandaged valentine. "And this is from me!"

"For you!" Frankenbeans said, giving her his box of candies (even if a few chocolate ants were left inside).

Wolfie gave her his skeleton, only it was wearing a red bow on it's skull.

Little Ghoul gladly gave Ashley her bouquet of black roses.

Ashley looked at the armful of gifts. She found her voice as she faced her friends. "W-Why are you doing this?"

"Well, since we all got such wonderful valentines and we got you nothing, we decided to give ours to you!" Flabber said.

"We didn't want you to feel left out." said Mums. "And all these gifts were perfect for us!"

"I know." Ashley said. "That's why I gave them to you."

The room was quiet for a second.

"WHAT?!" everyone shouted.

"Y-You mean, these are all from...you?!" sputtered Flabber.

Ashley smiled as she carefully set the gifts down. "Of course. Who else did you think it was?"

"We thought we each had a secret admirer!" Little Ghoul replied. "Isn't that what Valentine's say is about? Telling someone you love them?"

Ashley just laughed. "No, you guys. There's more to it than that. Valentine's day is about-"

**CRASH!** A loud, noise broke the conversation as well as shook the whole house!

"I think I know what that was!" Flabber said.

The whole group left Ashley's room and went straight to Fangula's. When they did, Ashley covered her mouth in shock.

Fangula's twitching hand was seen peeking from an enormous pile of rubble. Ashley pointed at the mess and it vanished in an instant, but the count was still lying on the ground in pain.

"Fang! Are you okay?!" Ashley asked as she rushed to his aid.

Fangula opened his eyes, he was seeing stars, eagles, you name it, he was seeing it.

"A valentine...ten feet tall." he slurred in his daze. "For my sweet Ash-" he blinked, then shook his head to get his senses back. "Ashley?! What are you doing here?!"

Ashley chuckled and stroked her boyfriend's head. "Now hold on a second, Fang. I'm glad to know you still care. But when it comes to love, especially on Valentine's day, bigger isn't always better."

"What do you mean?" Fangula asked confused.

"Love isn't fancy gifts or...whatever that was suppose to be." she said, reminiscing about the giant tombstone.

"Well, what is is then?"

"Love is about, well, remembering." She smiled. "Like, that first kiss..."

Fangula blinked, "First kiss?"

He definitely remembered. It was when those two found they were ticklish and had a big tickle fight. After that, Fangula looked and Ashley. And Ashley looked at him. Then they both shared the most passionate kiss they ever had.

In fact, the only passionate kiss they ever had.

Knowing that he remembered, Ashley took out a bottle with a long, thin neck and the bottom of it was shaped like a heart. Inside it was a sparkling pink liquid.

"What's that?" asked Fangula.

"Just a little something I whipped up downstairs." Ashley uncorked the bottle, swirling pink sparkles surrounded the witch. With a dazzling flash, Ashley was wearing a red mermaid dress with long black gloves. Her hair was pulled back with a black bow. Over her shoulders was a black caplet with a high collar.

Fangula was amazed. "That's the exact same outfit you wore at the Vampire Empire Ball!"

"As a matter of fact, it is." Ashley mused.

She looked over to Flabber. "Hmm, if only we had some..."

"I get the message!" Flabber used his magic to bring everyone into the parlor. The phasm hopped onto the pipe organ's seat and played a swinging tango number.

Fangula and Ashley began swinging and waltzing to the music. The monster followed their lead and danced with each other.

"So, you understand now?" Ashley said.

The count smiled. "I most definitely do."

Then the two leaned in for their second most passionate kiss...while everyone else made a face.

So in the end, everyone learned that Valentine's Day isn't all about mush, but it's about being friends. And when certain friendships are especially strong, that's what really makes love.


End file.
